| Upgrade Packages - Another form of the update command, which can perform more complex updates -- like distribution upgrades. When the usual update command will omit package updates, which include changes in dependencies, this command can perform those updates. ||pacman -Syu||yum distro-sync ||apt-get dist-upgrade||||zypper dup||emerge -uDN world

+

| Upgrade Packages - Another form of the update command, which can perform more complex updates -- like distribution upgrades. When the usual update command will omit package updates, which include changes in dependencies, this command can perform those updates. ||pacman -Syu||yum distro-sync ||apt-get dist-upgrade||zypper dup||emerge -uDN world

| Get a dump of the whole system information - Prints, Saves or similar the current state of the package management system. Preferred output is text or XML. One version of rug dumps information as a sqlite database. (Note: Why either-or here? No tool offers the option to choose the output format.) ||(see /var/lib/pacman/local)||(see /var/lib/rpm/Packages)||apt-cache stats||rug dump||n/a ||emerge --info

+

| Get a dump of the whole system information - Prints, Saves or similar the current state of the package management system. Preferred output is text or XML. (Note: Why either-or here? No tool offers the option to choose the output format.) ||(see /var/lib/pacman/local)||(see /var/lib/rpm/Packages)||apt-cache stats||n/a ||emerge --info

|-

|-

−

| Show all or most information about a package. The tools' verbosity for the default command vary. But with options, the tools are on par with each other. ||pacman -[S<nowiki>|</nowiki>Q]i ||yum list or info ||apt-cache show / apt-cache policy||rug info||zypper info zypper if||emerge -S; emerge -pv; eix

+

| Show all or most information about a package. The tools' verbosity for the default command vary. But with options, the tools are on par with each other. ||pacman -[S<nowiki>|</nowiki>Q]i ||yum list or info ||apt-cache show / apt-cache policy||zypper info zypper if||emerge -S; emerge -pv; eix

| Display a list of all packages in all installation sources that are handled by the packages management. Some tools provide options or additional commands to limit the output to a specific installation source. ||pacman -Sl ||yum list available||apt-cache dumpavail apt-cache dump (Cache only) apt-cache pkgnames||rug packages||zypper packages ||emerge -ep world

+

| Display a list of all packages in all installation sources that are handled by the packages management. Some tools provide options or additional commands to limit the output to a specific installation source. ||pacman -Sl ||yum list available||apt-cache dumpavail apt-cache dump (Cache only) apt-cache pkgnames||zypper packages ||emerge -ep world

| Display packages which conflict with given expression (often package). Search can be used as well to mimic this function. rug's what-conflicts function operates on more than just package names ||(none)||repoquery --whatconflicts||aptitude search '~Cpattern'||rug info-conflicts rug what-conflicts||IN PROGRESS ||

+

| Display packages which conflict with given expression (often package). Search can be used as well to mimic this function.||(none)||repoquery --whatconflicts||aptitude search '~Cpattern'||IN PROGRESS ||

| List packages that were recently added to one of the installation sources, i.e. which are new to it. ||(none)||yum list recent ||aptitude search '~N' / aptitude forget-new||||n/a||eix-diff

+

| List packages that were recently added to one of the installation sources, i.e. which are new to it. ||(none)||yum list recent ||aptitude search '~N' / aptitude forget-new||n/a||eix-diff

|-

|-

−

| Show a log of actions taken by the software management. ||cat /var/log/pacman.log ||yum history cat /var/log/yum.log||cat /var/log/dpkg.log||rug history || cat /var/log/zypp/history || located in /var/log/portage

+

| Show a log of actions taken by the software management. ||cat /var/log/pacman.log ||yum history cat /var/log/yum.log||cat /var/log/dpkg.log||cat /var/log/zypp/history || located in /var/log/portage

| Generates an output suitable for processing with dotty for the given package(s). ||||||apt-cache dotty ||||n/a ||

+

| Generates an output suitable for processing with dotty for the given package(s). ||||||apt-cache dotty ||n/a ||

|- style="background:#e4e4e4"

|- style="background:#e4e4e4"

−

| Set the priority of the given package to avoid upgrade, force downgrade or to overwrite any default behavior. Can also be used to prefer a package version from a certain installation source. ||${EDITOR} /etc/pacman.conf<br/>Modify HoldPkg and/or IgnorePkg arrays||yum-plugin-priorities and yum-plugin-protect-packages||/etc/apt/preferences, apt-cache policy|||| zypper mr -p || ${EDITOR} /etc/portage/package.keywords<br/>Add a line with =category/package-version

+

| Set the priority of the given package to avoid upgrade, force downgrade or to overwrite any default behavior. Can also be used to prefer a package version from a certain installation source. ||${EDITOR} /etc/pacman.conf<br/>Modify HoldPkg and/or IgnorePkg arrays||yum-plugin-priorities and yum-plugin-protect-packages||/etc/apt/preferences, apt-cache policy|| zypper mr -p || ${EDITOR} /etc/portage/package.keywords<br/>Add a line with =category/package-version

| Add an installation source to the system. Some tools provide additional commands for certain sources, others allow all types of source URI for the add command. Again others, like apt and yum force editing a sources list. apt-cdrom is a special command, which offers special options design for CDs/DVDs as source. ||${EDITOR} /etc/pacman.conf||${EDITOR} /etc/yum.repos.d/${REPO}.repo||apt-cdrom add||rug service-add rug mount /local/dir||zypper service-add ||layman, overlays

+

| Add an installation source to the system. Some tools provide additional commands for certain sources, others allow all types of source URI for the add command. Again others, like apt and yum force editing a sources list. apt-cdrom is a special command, which offers special options design for CDs/DVDs as source. ||${EDITOR} /etc/pacman.conf||${EDITOR} /etc/yum.repos.d/${REPO}.repo||apt-cdrom add||zypper service-add ||layman, overlays

Search for package(s) by searching the expression in name, description, short description. What exact fields are being searched by default varies in each tool. Mostly options bring tools on par.

pacman -Ss

yum search

apt-cache search

zypper search zypper se [-s]

emerge -S

Upgrade Packages - Install packages which have an older version already installed

pacman -Syu

yum update

apt-get upgrade

zypper update zypper up

emerge -u world

Upgrade Packages - Another form of the update command, which can perform more complex updates -- like distribution upgrades. When the usual update command will omit package updates, which include changes in dependencies, this command can perform those updates.

pacman -Syu

yum distro-sync

apt-get dist-upgrade

zypper dup

emerge -uDN world

Reinstall given Package - Will reinstall the given package without dependency hassle.

Mark a package previously installed as a dependency as explicitly required.

pacman -D --asexplicit

aptitude unmarkauto

emerge --select

Install package(s) as dependency / without marking as explicitly required.

pacman -S --asdeps

emerge -1

Package information management

Get a dump of the whole system information - Prints, Saves or similar the current state of the package management system. Preferred output is text or XML. (Note: Why either-or here? No tool offers the option to choose the output format.)

(see /var/lib/pacman/local)

(see /var/lib/rpm/Packages)

apt-cache stats

n/a

emerge --info

Show all or most information about a package. The tools' verbosity for the default command vary. But with options, the tools are on par with each other.

pacman -[S|Q]i

yum list or info

apt-cache show / apt-cache policy

zypper info zypper if

emerge -S; emerge -pv; eix

Search for package(s) by searching the expression in name, description, short description. What exact fields are being searched by default varies in each tool. Mostly options bring tools on par.

pacman -Ss

yum search

apt-cache search

zypper search zypper se [-s]

emerge -S

Lists packages which have an update available. Note: Some provide special commands to limit the output to certain installation sources, others use options.

pacman -Qu

yum list updates yum check-update

apt-get upgrade -> n

zypper list-updates zypper patch-check (just for patches)

emerge -uDNp world

Display a list of all packages in all installation sources that are handled by the packages management. Some tools provide options or additional commands to limit the output to a specific installation source.

pacman -Sl

yum list available

apt-cache dumpavail apt-cache dump (Cache only) apt-cache pkgnames

zypper packages

emerge -ep world

Displays packages which provide the given exp. aka reverse provides. Mainly a shortcut to search a specific field. Other tools might offer this functionality through the search command.

pkgfile <filename>

yum whatprovides yum provides

apt-file search <filename>

zypper what-provides zypper wp

equery belongs (only installed packages); pfl

Display packages which require X to be installed, aka show reverse/ dependencies.

pacman -Sii

yum resolvedep

apt-cache rdepends / aptitude search ~Dpattern

IN PROGRESS

equery depends

Display packages which conflict with given expression (often package). Search can be used as well to mimic this function.

(none)

repoquery --whatconflicts

aptitude search '~Cpattern'

IN PROGRESS

List all packages which are required for the given package, aka show dependencies.

pacman -[S|Q]i

yum deplist

apt-cache depends / apt-cache show

IN PROGRESS

emerge -ep

List what the current package provides

yum provides

IN PROGRESS

equery files

List the files that the package holds. Again, this functionality can be mimicked by other more complex commands.

pacman -Ql $pkgname pkgfile -l

repoquery -l $pkgname

dpkg -L / apt-file list

IN PROGRESS

equery files

List all packages that require a particular package

repoquery --whatrequires [--recursive]

equery depends -a

Search all packages to find the one which holds the specified file. auto-apt is using this functionality.

pkgfile -s

yum provides yum whatprovides

apt-file search

IN PROGRESS

equery belongs

Display all packages that the specified packages obsoletes.

yum list obsoletes

apt-cache show

IN PROGRESS

Verify dependencies of the complete system. Used if installation process was forcefully killed.

testdb

yum deplist

apt-get check

n/a

emerge -uDN world

Generates a list of installed packages

pacman -Q

yum list installed

dpkg --get-selections

zypper

emerge -ep world

List packages that are installed but are not available in any installation source (anymore).

pacman -Qm

yum list extras

deborphan

zypper se -si | grep 'System Packages'

eix-test-obsolete

List packages that were recently added to one of the installation sources, i.e. which are new to it.

(none)

yum list recent

aptitude search '~N' / aptitude forget-new

n/a

eix-diff

Show a log of actions taken by the software management.

cat /var/log/pacman.log

yum history cat /var/log/yum.log

cat /var/log/dpkg.log

cat /var/log/zypp/history

located in /var/log/portage

Clean up all local caches. Options might limit what is actually cleaned. Autoclean removes only unneeded, obsolete information.

pacman -Scpacman -Scc

yum clean

apt-get clean / apt-get autoclean / aptitude clean

zypper clean

eclean distfiles

Add a local package to the local package cache mostly for debugging purposes.

cp $pkgname /var/cache/pacman/pkg/

apt-cache add

n/a

cp $srcfile /usr/portage/distfiles

Display the source package to the given package name(s)

repoquery -s

apt-cache showsrc

n/a

Generates an output suitable for processing with dotty for the given package(s).

apt-cache dotty

n/a

Set the priority of the given package to avoid upgrade, force downgrade or to overwrite any default behavior. Can also be used to prefer a package version from a certain installation source.

${EDITOR} /etc/pacman.confModify HoldPkg and/or IgnorePkg arrays

yum-plugin-priorities and yum-plugin-protect-packages

/etc/apt/preferences, apt-cache policy

zypper mr -p

${EDITOR} /etc/portage/package.keywordsAdd a line with =category/package-version

Remove a previously set priority

/etc/apt/preferences

zypper mr -p

${EDITOR} /etc/portage/package.keywordsremove offending line

Show a list of set priorities.

apt-cache policy /etc/apt/preferences

n/a

cat /etc/portage/package.keywords

Ignores problems that priorities may trigger.

n/a

Installation sources management

${EDITOR} /etc/pacman.conf

${EDITOR} /etc/yum.repos.d/${REPO}.repo

${EDITOR} /etc/apt/sources.list

layman

Add an installation source to the system. Some tools provide additional commands for certain sources, others allow all types of source URI for the add command. Again others, like apt and yum force editing a sources list. apt-cdrom is a special command, which offers special options design for CDs/DVDs as source.

${EDITOR} /etc/pacman.conf

${EDITOR} /etc/yum.repos.d/${REPO}.repo

apt-cdrom add

zypper service-add

layman, overlays

Refresh the information about the specified installation source(s) or all installation sources.

pacman -Sy

yum clean expire-cache && yum check-update

apt-get update

zypper refresh zypper ref

layman -f

Prints a list of all installation sources including important information like URI, alias etc.

cat /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

cat /etc/yum.repos.d/*

zypper service-list

layman -l

Disable an installation source for an operation

yum --disablerepo=${REPO}

emerge package::repo-to-use

Download packages from a different version of the distribution than the one installed.